We have been with Browne since JK, now in 5th grade and love every ounce of the school! It is the…read moremost loving and educationally enriching environment! My daughter continues to come home every day filled with excitement to go back to school so I couldn't be happier!

I have 2 kids enrolled here and they have been doing well. Pre K program is excellent with Ms …read more Janet . She has been there for over 25 years . My son has been there since 1st grade he is now in 5th grade . We love the the diversity,the curriculum, the teachers are wonderful and compassionate. Excellent school !

I really wanted to like this place! But after 3 weeks, I know it's not a place I'd trust with the…read moreoverall well-being of my child. My enthusiasm enrolling my child at a "good" daycare based on reviews and recommendations died essentially the first day my child was officially there. The first and biggest disappointment is the fact the teachers there appear to be disengaged and uninterested. When I noticed there were 6 new babies out of a class of 12 starting the same day and many of them crying essentially every time I made a stop at the center throughout the first week, I was particularly interested in how they would comfort the children. They didn't! That was pretty disappointing as I consider the emotional well-being of my child as important, if not more important than being fed and having clean diapers. My child absolutely hated that place-pulling me away from the door when we got there, having restless nights full of nightmares, losing skills he previously had etc on top of crying the most he's ever had basically all the time at LAP starting from drop off. That made me decide to spend more time there to observe what's causing him to be that uncomfortable. I spent an hour observing everything they were doing. I also paid attention to all the other kids. There wasn't a single child who finished even 25% of the lunch presented that day but they would just push the milk to them and lunch is done. Then I received an email later that day my child who barely had a bite of a taco "ate most/everything". I could see the teachers laughing at me and shaking heads I was there to watch. As far as I'm concerned, I'm paying to get the service and entitled to watch what my helpless child has to go through. I obviously didn't care about how they felt about me exercising my rights. Besides, when folks are professional and confident of their work, they would want to show it off. But clearly the LAP team would rather get away with their mediocre childcare away from the parents. I'm watching all this through a tinted window btw. Then they turn off the light from the inside knowing that the hallway Iight was still on and that my child would see me (and cry). If you need more lows than that, keep reading. I've also witnessed (2 consecutive days) that they let the kids watch songs on an iPad. When I brought it up to the owner, it was explained to me it was "just one song in the morning". I mean I'm not there to monitor the entire day so I'm supposed to believe they're telling the truth. Also, ahead of enrollment, they asked me to fill out many pages of questions. Apparently, the teachers never received the forms. Here I was thinking they asked those questions because they wanted to understand the child as an individual but the reality is they didn't even communicate to the teacher my child's food allergies. Seriously! When I dropped my child even after 3 weeks, there was not a single teacher my child gravitated towards the slightest bit. When I ask them the toys he plays with during the day, none of the teachers would know-not pay attention to the kids obviously. The reason I had decided daycare would be better than home was for the social interaction. However, I quickly figured they lacked attentiveness to meet that. For example, there was one time my child had the water cup out of reach. He pointed to it multiple times but the teacher who sat next to him was dazed and didn't pass the cup. Children develop skills based on the response they get around them. If they are consistently dismissed, they will grow up to be robotic and disengaged who don't get common sense. If you want a place, any place to leave your child, this place might do it. However, if you are trying to raise a well rounded human being whose emotional and psychological needs are met, I don't think LAP team has the skills or knowledge to offer that. Although my child would never sleep more than an hour (as opposed to 3 hours at home), eat almost nothing, to me the emotional negligence is the ultimate factor I've pulled my child out of this worrisome place.

I have to knock off a star. Our first year here we had an amazing teacher. And then we moved into a…read moreclass where teachers and assistants were clearly over it and disengaged. They left at the end of the year. The teacher in our new classroom was great but also left. And now we're in one that's just okay. There are some really amazing people that work here and the programming is beyond excellent. But a few teachers in our experience seem burned out irritated and overwhelmed. The daily napslips that are supposed to provide updates on nap time and food eaten are clearly on auto send and innacurrate. If my kid were younger, less verbal and more dependent on emotional engagement they wouldn't go here but they are a bit older and independent now. They can tell me what they ate and how they napped themselves. And they are just in love with a few of the assistants. The shows and education are also top notch.

My almost-four-year-old son currently attends Griffin Academy. We are working parents and needed…read morefull-day care, and we did a pretty exhaustive search in the area for an affordable preschool. I cannot BELIEVE how lucky we are to have found this place. Let me tell you why you should send your kids here. Even before I talk about my son's experience, I need to mention how well this program is run. Kristine Lee, the preschool director, is one of the warmest, kindest, most competent and professional humans with whom I've had the pleasure of interacting. She was so responsive and helpful throughout our enrollment process that we felt like we were already family members from the first contact. This was not our experience with other preschool programs. Many private preschools, like the one our older daughter attended, have strict arbitrary rules, parent work hour requirements, and intimidating admission processes that (for us) made us feel a tiny bit unwelcome. None of this from Westminster. This private school, with its classical focus, has managed to wrap us in its arms and surround us with a community of funny, warm, and down-to-earth people. It feels EASY, not stressful, to attend school here. As private school first-timers, we had to adjust to uniforms, but it's been no sweat. Teachers. We knew that our son liked his teacher, and that she (and all of the Griffin teachers) had been kind to him, and patient as he adjusted to a full day of school. We were so incredibly impressed when we met her in person at back-to-school night. Beyond having exactly the personality you would want for a preschool teacher (gentle, nurturing, and understanding), Miss Horner brings incredible expertise and professional knowledge to her job as classroom teacher. I myself am a board-certified teacher, so I have some clue about what they do, and my son's teacher is at the top of her game. Literally every aspect of her students' experience seems to have been designed with their development in mind. Everything in the classroom is accessible to the children, with the goal of fostering their independence, improving their fine and gross motor skills, and promoting harmony. The children are taught to greet each other respectfully, refer to their classmates as "friends", and express appreciation frequently. We toured other schools in our search, and at some well-known schools, we were dismayed to notice that the teachers did not seem to have a loving relationship with their students. My son's teachers LOVE him, and it shows. This was the single most important thing that we as parents were looking for. Every child deserves to experience preschool in a class like my son's, and we cannot overstate how fortunate we feel to have landed here. Here are some other fun things that we love: - They go on field trips (on the Westminster bus!) on almost a monthly basis. That is so many out-of-class experiences! - Each classroom has an imaginative play area that changes monthly (post office! garden! cave! grocery store!). - You can pack your child's lunch, OR order hot lunch from their service! Or both! - Excite Soccer offers a short after-school class on Thursdays, and our son goes to this and LOVES it. - French. Library. Music. Science. Our preschooler's schedule is as varied and rich as our 1st-grader's. My son is a wiggly little boy. Was I worried that he wouldn't have enough opportunity to move and play in the course of his rigorous classical education? I was. I've got one word for you: GYMNASIUM. If you can show me another preschool where kids get to run around a huge gym first thing every single morning, I'll be astonished. My guy comes home happy and tired every day. I'm typing all of this because when we were looking for preschools, there weren't a lot of parent reviews to read, and parents need to know that this wonderful option is available. Look no further!

Our son went to Griffin Academy for preschool and he attended some of the Griffin camps (winter,…read morespring, summer.) Griffin Academy is part of the Westminster School, however, it is on a different campus and it is run by a different headmaster. So first, I must say that this review is for Griffin Academy not Westminster as we do not have any experience with Westminster directly. The best part of Griffin Academy is the teaching staff (actually, all of the staff) and the facilities. If you take a tour of the facilities I have no doubt you will be very impressed. Having an indoor gym-type of space in the winter was hugely beneficial. Also, the teaching staff was excellent, and I mean really excellent. My son had a primary teacher who he adored and then he did rotate through other teachers who teach specialty subjects, and they all got to know him and I was really impressed with all of them. The expectations, educationally, were set very high which works well for my son and our family because I felt that he was pushed just the right amount. The class sizes are small so the teachers are really able to work with the kids at the level that they are at. They also worked a lot on his manners and his social interactions. My son came out of Griffin at age 4, able to sight read entire books on his own, silently, to himself. So educationally, I cannot fault Griffin at all; I was very impressed. Our son was definitely not bored, which is a big thing for us. The hours that they provide childcare/school for are also very good for working parents, as they provide a variety of options to allow the parents to be able to choose and manage the hours of school and childcare that they need. The price was also surprisingly much more affordable than a lot of other preschools. The only reason I am not giving the school 5 stars is because, just out of bad luck, is our son really didn't have that many other boys in his class, so unfortunately a lot of the stereotypical boy activities, he was not able to partake in to the fullest extent of what he would have preferred, so I ended up having to enroll him in some outside extracurricular activities (karate, etc.) just to kind of make up that deficit. The class he was in was almost all girls. However, as I say, I realize that experience was probably just unique to us and unfortunate due to the way the classes broke down. The reason that is a big deal to me is my son needs a lot of physical activity to get his energy out and that really requires him basically running around like a maniac playing soccer, etc. He is already at the age where he doesn't want to play what he thinks of as girly games so that was a bit of an issue during the school times, was not having enough physical activity for his liking. (***During the camps sessions it was a better mixture of boys and girls so this problem actually completely went away for us during all of the Griffin camp sessions.) The only other pretty minor complaint I had about the school was at times I felt they were a bit too strict on some things that I myself am pretty relaxed on - especially the "clean your plate" mentality, I am not really that into. On the flip side, his manners were much improved and he is able to do a lot more on his own and for himself than he was when he went into Griffin, so I have mixed feelings about that. All in all, I would really recommend Griffin, it is a very good preschool, and when our daughter is old enough we will probably be sending our daughter there.

This school is my first experience of the U.S educational system which is very different from the…read morenation I come from . This school is very nice for my daughter who is in three days lamb. Ms. Rockwell & Ms. Mary both are dedicated teachers and they take care of each and every perspective of my kids growth.

It's an incredible school and definitely the best one I've ever gone too I'm lucky to be here.read more

Our son is a rising senior at HGS and we couldn't be happier with the education he has received…read morethere. The teachers are truly exceptional and the Head of School does a fantastic job of leading the school in accomplishing its mission. Erick has always been a joy to work with and I've never met an educator so dedicated to supporting our son's success. (Our son just took a week-long "Maymester" course on game theory with him and LOVED it). If you're looking for a school where your child's talents will be nurtured, values will be shaped, independence will be fostered, and community-engaged citizenship will be encouraged, look no further - HGS is the best school around. At HGS, your child will get honest feedback on their work and will gain the confidence needed to be successful both in and out of the classroom beyond high school. (If you have an artistic child, don't be put off by the lack of art classes. Through internships, "Maymester" classes, and electives, our son has been able to develop a solid portfolio to use in applying for film schools next year). If you're considering HGS but aren't sure if it's the right fit for your child, tour the school and see what you think. Erick and Lizzy (Admissions) can connect you with parents who can talk to you about their experiences. Tell them you'd like to talk to the mom of the rising senior who's planning to go to film school - they'll know who you're talking about and will give you my contact info. Happy to talk with you about how fantastic HGS is! :) Kim

Our son started at CIS in August 2024 after our VERY beloved in-home daycare closed. He was 3 at…read morethe time and we knew the adjustment would be tricky. We visited several full-time preschools in the area, with location/convenience of drop-off/pick-up being a top priority for us. CIS was the only one we visited without a personal reference, and we were referred to it through friends who checked it out but didn't ultimately attend CIS because they moved out of the country. On our initial visit, we were immediately impressed with the diversity and warmth the school provided. Many of the teachers (great ones!) have been there for decades. The materials also referenced a "conscious discipline" approach to managing behavior, which my husband and I wholly support. We also loved the way the rooms were arranged, with photos to show where everything belongs. And although there isn't much green space, CIS has on-site two small playgrounds. The preschool also coordinates with a local organization to provide spring and fall soccer lessons once a week, at an additional cost. For music, CIS arranges for a talented, local musician to come on-site once a week to get the kids singing and dancing. Once we made our choice, our son had a bit of a rough transition, which is to be expected at 3 years old. One of the veteran teachers, with a perfect balance of compassion and no-nonsense, spent at least three weeks personally helping our son say goodbye in the morning with as few tears as possible. After that initial transition period, our son has really loved CIS, and has thrived there. He loves his teachers, has made some great friends, and generally enjoys going each day. The school communicates coursework and activities, and shares the lunch/snack menus monthly. Although it's not a big fancy center, CIS is warm and the staff clearly care about the kids. They take medicine administration seriously and the space is clean and welcoming. There has been some turnover in directors during our time there, but the current director seems great so far! Our son will head to kindergarten this fall and we will genuinely miss our connection to CIS (for now). We highly recommend CIS as an affordable, full-time preschool option in Alexandria.

We love CIS! My first kid started during the pandemic, and we toured all the nearby schools. This…read moreone was a no-brainer: teachers who'd been there for years, dedicated playground, dedicated parking lot, fun and welcoming space. Now, our second kid just started there this year and it's just as good as I remember. There is one teacher who wasn't even her main teacher at the time who just had the magic touch getting her to calm down after drop-off. The teachers are all so loving and caring towards the kids. I'm really grateful we found a place like this for our kiddos.

Serious delay in security deposit refund. My daughter graduated from Guideposts West Alex, VA…read morelocation in July 2025. Nine months later, we still have not received her refund despite countless phone calls and email follow-ups. At one point they claimed a refund check had been issued and mailed, but they could not provide any documentation when asked. After that, they stopped responding entirely. We never received the check. Now it appears they are switching ownership and are using that as an excuse not to issue the refund. This level of unprofessionalism and stonewalling is infuriating -- we trusted this company and they have betrayed that trust. What a shady, irresponsible company.

We've had an incredibly positive experience with Guidepost West Alex…read more Our daughter has thrived in both the Toddler cohort, and now since turning 3, in Children's House. The guides foster an environment of curiosity and learning, and I love hearing our daughter talk about the activities and conversations she has throughout the day. Interactions are positive and numerous. This ranges from warm greetings in the morning to getting updates via Smart Classroom to weekly email updates to 1:1 meetings with the guides. We always feel included and in-the-loop on what's going on in the school broadly and how our daughter is doing specifically. From a leadership and administrative perspective, there has been a positive shift since Ms. Mary started in the Summer of 2022. There is a strong sense of community throughout the school, including after-school and outside-of-school events and meetups. She and her leadership team are always accessible and open. If you notice all the sub-par reviews are old and are from prospective parents. I want to recognize that we experienced some of those same challenges too, however the caveat is that this was with the prior leadership team and during COVID when admissions had a modified onboarding process. As a current parent I have full trust for the guides and administrative team to do what's best for our daughter's physical, emotional, and cognitive safety and development.

This wonderful gem of a School is tucked away in a neighborhood in Alexandria. My children (3…read moregirls) all attended school here through 6th grade. The experiences they shared and the knowledge they gained was immeasurable. All successful adults now, I feel I owe a forever debt to their early education and the staff at MSA. The school has been beautifully refreshed and it looks better than ever!

Both my children have attended Montessori School Alexandria (MSA). My eldest went there from 2001…read moreto 2004, finishing in kindergarten. He had a excellent teacher and had a great education. When he entered first grade in the Fairfax County public school system, he was ahead in his reading. Flash foward 11 years later when my youngest enters MSA's primary program. I will be the first to admit that she is not the easiest of children. In her second year of the primary, we started having serious discussions regarding our child's behavior which included striking teachers and outbursts of anger. Preliminary diagnosis pointed to ADHD. While our daughter was about to come off a wait list at reputable local children's hospital for further assessment--at the encouragement of MSA--the school informed us that she could no longer attend the school because she posed a danger to the other students. I would advise that while MSA does an outstanding job of teaching children who are compliant and on point with their emotional and educational development, the school is not equipped to handle a child that would require an IEP at a traditional school. Nor are they patient for a child to receive the care they need, despite being in a community where there is a long wait time for providers who can assess conditions such ADHD. Just be warned that if you think your child is ADHD or has other behavioral issues, the staff may not have the resources to assist your child.